


Day 2: Making Amends

by Ace_in_the_Hole



Series: Bellow Diamond Week 2019 [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Bellow, Bellow Diamond week, F/F, Zoo, bellow diamond - Freeform, human zoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-22 23:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20000104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ace_in_the_Hole/pseuds/Ace_in_the_Hole
Summary: Yellow and Blue have a plan for the Zoo.





	Day 2: Making Amends

The ship pulled up to the docking station. It was far different from a currier or transport, and even odder than Blue Diamond’s normal visit. This was a ship that had not been seen for a while, if ever, at the Zoo. Fuchsia colored legs made an awkward approach before pulling back and trying again. And a third time. Finally the crew teleported on.

“Hey y’all! I’m back!”

Amethyst strutted up from the main teleport pad. The room was empty.

“Hey, what gives?”

Silence answered her. Then a rumble. A stampede of Amethysts and Jaspers rushed in, all cheering and shouting.

“8XM! 8XM is here!”

“Told yah she’d be back!”

“Well, look who it is!”

“I’M NOT THE SHORTEST ANY MORE!”

“8XM!!!”

Amethyst was swarmed with hugs and smiles. “Famethyst forever!” She shouted, pumping her fist into the air.

Pearl stayed away from the mass of excited gems. “Seems like everything remainded the same here.”

“I’m so glad they’re all ok!” Steven ran up, getting his own greetings from the Jaspers and Amethysts. “This will be a big help!”

All the excited gems froze, first the ones near the front with the entire group halting as they stared up. The room had glowed, the teleport pad was now filled with the presence of two radiant Diamonds: Yellow and Blue.

“Uh oh.” One Jasper in the back muttered as she slowly stepped backwards.

“Wait, it’s alright! They’re here to free everyone.” Steven smiled at the crowd of confused faces. “I mean, um, it’s a new Era? And Homeworld has changed. Even the Diamonds!”

They stared back, first up at the Diamonds then back at Steven. Blue and Yellow exchanged glances as well, not wanting to offend.

“Yes, it is true.” A solemn voice lamented from the doorway. Holly Blue entered, her shoulders slumped and her color dull. “Everything has changed. No more wars, no more commands. Every gem can do whatever they please.” She sighed, sulking into the crowd. “So go! Do whatever you want!”

“What?”

“When did this happen?”

“8XM is this true?”

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

Holly waved an arm. “Tell you what? That everything is fine for you but not for me? This is a tragedy.” She glanced up, just now noticing the two Diamonds towering over them all in the far side of the room. Her face twitched and she stood up straight, eyes wide. “MY MY MY OH MY.” She backed up a few steps into an Amethyst before falling over.

“You broke Holly Blue.” Said the Amethyst, trying to help her back up.

“Sorry about that.” Said Blue Diamond, leaning down.

Yellow sighed. “I told you we should have used another entrance” She gestured to the gems still staring. “This is still a fresh concept in many parts of the Empire.”

“Nah, It’s cool!” Amethyst spoke up. “We’re all good with it. Just a couple of Diamonds, right?” She gestured back to the Famethysts with a grin on her face.

“Yeah sure.”

“If 8XM is fine, I’m fine”

“We’re cool.”

“Diamonds smiamonds.”

The group piled around again, talking to Pearl and Steven and even the Diamonds. Holly stood in the back still trying to accept reality. 

“We’re here to invite you all to come to Earth. Or Homeworld. Or where every you want!” Steven explained, throwing his arms in the air at the end. “It’s your choice.”

“Woah, anywhere?” Skinny the Jasper thought for a monument. “It’d be great to go back to Earth. See my old stomping ground.”

“Pfff. Your stomping ground? Prime’s way better.” One of the Amethysts teased. “And you know it!”

“Hey!”

Yellow interrupted. “Blue and I will be handling what happens to the humans kept here.”

The group stared up.

“Um.” Piped one of the Jaspers. “I know you’re not scary, giant commanders any more but, that still sounded really bad.” She paused, giving a nervous grin. “Sorry to say, my Diamond.”

“Hhmph.” Yellow grunted, crossing her arms.

“Gently.” Blue reminded her. She leaned down with a smile. “All the humans will be safe, worry not.”

“Oh. Well that works.” The Jasper agreed.

“Come, Blue.” Yellow stepped around the gathered gems. “Let us discuss our plan.” She glared down. “Steven, we’ll need you as well.”

“Coming!” He ran after their much larger footsteps.

“Alright!” Amethyst shouted. “So who wants to come back to Earth with me?”

The Famethysts all chimed in. Some wanted to stay here and help, others were fully set on Earth, a few wanted to return to Homeworld. One thing was clear: they all wanted to have fun. Groups formed with stories of the Zoo and Earth and emerging there. Everyone was ready to move on, talking with freedom and hope in their voices. All but Holly Blue. She leaned against the far wall, staring down at the floor with a sigh. She moved to walk back to her office. No use leaving the place she’d be destined to look after for her entire existence. 

“Hey! Holly!”

One of the Amethysts called from the group. She looked up.

“Get over here! You gotta hear about the Kindergarten! 8XM says they managed to grow plants there!”

Holly hesitated, frowning at the many eyes on her that waited for her response.

“Come on! Tell us how you formed. It was on that one water colony, wasn’t it? With the giant plants?”

A Japser chimed in. “Oh they were huge, like the size of this station!”

“What? No!” Doubted an Amethyst.

She took a step forward. “Yes. Lapis Prime. I was one of only a few Agates to be produced there.” She looked down, recalling the place vividly. “The plants grew out of the water into the sky like buildings.”

“Woah. So was it like, all water? Or just really wet?”

Holly entered the group, telling tales of her home colony. Maybe she could go back there. Maybe she could go to Homeworld. It was her choice, after all. Amethyst grinned at her.

\---

Blue and Yellow walked slowly down the main circular hallway of the Zoo. Steven followed between them.

“Then it’s settled. You will contact Earth’s leaders for us. Start a dialog.” Yellow pointed to her chest. “Then we will come in.”

Blue nodded.”Earth can decide what to do with the Zoo and the Humans inside.”

“Hmm.” Steven brought a hand to his chin. “We don’t really have the technology to get out there. Like, at all.”

“Leave it to us.” Yellow gestured out one of the windows. “We can easily send this station to where ever they wish. On the Earth’s moon, perhaps?”

“That’s a great idea!” Steven smiled. “They can be like neighbors!”

“Steven.” Blue began sternly. “These Humans have not been on Earth for centuries. They only know this Zoo. It would be unwise to simply dump them somewhere.”

“I got it.” He gave a thumbs up. “We’ll take good care of them.”

Yellow agreed with a curt nod. “That just leaves the matter of-“ Her voice trailed off.

“Thank you for discussing this with us, Steven.” Blue knelt down, giving a kind smile. “You can join your friends if you wish.”

“But I wanna see the Quartzes! Tell them hi from, well, their Diamond!”

Yellow flinched. 

“That may not be a good idea.” Blue shook her head. “At last, not yet.”

Yellow leaned down as well. “This is our doing, Steven. Our problem. We had them all arrested and contained. We forced Pink to do it. And now we must set them free.” She narrowed her eyes. “They must understand what has happened.”

Steven balled his fists. “I got it.” He walked back down the hallway, waiving. “I’ll be waiting with the others. Good luck!” 

The Diamonds watched him until he disappeared around the gradual corner. A rose colored door loomed ahead. Yellow let out a long exhale, unable to raise her hand to open the way.

“I know you are crying, Blue.” Yellow sighed. “I can feel my own tears forming.”

Instead of scolding, Yellow simply rested a hand on Blue’s shoulder.

“They were hers, made specially.” Blue bowed her head. “And we made her bubble all of them.”

Yellow held Blue closer, rubbing her back.

Blue sighed. “Pink suffered. We suffered. They all suffered.”

A grunt from Yellow. “And now we have a chance to make it right again.” She turned to look at Blue, meeting her tear stained eyes. “Not many have that.”

Blue took one her hands and squeezed it. “Open it. I’m ready.”

The door swished open with a clang. They stepped in, allowing it to shut behind them. The pillars stood proud: a monument to Pink and her legacy now tarnished by the truth. Blue’s grieving pillow remained on the floor where she had knelt for many an hour. And there, floating amid the vaulted ceiling hovered hundreds of Rose Quartz all contained in pink bubbles.

Blue turned away from the painful sight. “She listened to us. Captured everyone. It must have hurt her so much.”

“But we didn’t listen to her.” Yellow allowed Blue to rest her head on her shoulder pad.

She let her tears flow freely, allowing ever moment to pass her mind. The calls, the anger, the time she locked Pink in the tower. She didn’t resent the pain; only let it flow through her as happy memories mixed with sad ones. It was their choice now. Their chance.

“Pink.” Blue whispered. “I’m sorry. I will make things better.”

Yellow wiped her face of tears. She took Blue’s hand and squeezed hard. “We will. Together.”

They held up both their arms in unison. Slowly the bubbled gems drifted down to the floor, their seals releasing. At once forms took shape, light filling the room as hundreds of Quartzes reformed after centuries of being imprisoned.

Murmurs erupted. At first confusion, then anger, then fear. The Quartzes all shuffled back to the edge of the room, staring up at the intimidating, all powerful Diamonds.

Yellow and Blue looked at each other, took a deep breath, and began.

“Everything is going to be alright, there is nothing to fear.”

“We want to apologize to all of you.”

\---

“And here’s the barn! You can go anywhere if you want, really, but this is where Lapis and Peridot decided to set up. They farm the land and grow food, see! Look over there, corn!”

Steven gestured at the crops flanking the barn. The Rose Quartz all stared in wonder that a mere pair of incompatible gems made so much.

“So yeah, if you want to go back to the Zoo, we do need some people to help the Humans acclimate to Earth.” Steven smiled. “You can help each other! But there’s no rush to choose.”

The Quartzes looked all around, from the sky to the ground to the trees overtaking the horizon in the distance. It had been a long trip but they had finished touring the immediate area. Steven had shown them Beach City and the Temple and all that lay around. Even the Warp pads that led to even more areas. It had all changed so much from the war.

They stood in silence, confused as they had been when Yellow and Blue released them. Everything shifted when one stepped toward the bed of flowers Lapis had set up. The Quartz managed a smile and held out a hand as a butter fly flittered about the colorful petals.

“I never realized how beautiful it is here.”

Steven watched as the same awe and respect reflected in each of their eyes. That is when he knew everything was going to be fine.


End file.
